Louvered multi-skirt train high voltage suspension insulator



Dec. 24, 1963 J. w. MORRISON 3,115,543

LOWEREID MULTI-SKIRT TRAIN HIGH VOLTAGE SUSPENSION INSULATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 16, 1962 INVENTOR.

N 0 B Y R w R R 0 0 nn W A Y A J Y PFC-1.3

Dec. 24, 1963 J. w. MORRISON 3,115,543

LOWERED MULTI-SKIRT TRAIN HIGH VOLTAGE SUSPENSION INSULATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 16, 1962 INVENTOR. JAY W. MORRISON ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,115,543 LQ'UVERED MULTELSIGRT TRAEN HEGH VULTAGE SUSIENSHUN INSULATUR Jay W. Morrison, '73 Mead Sta, Newark, NJ. Filed Nov. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 238,094 '7 Claims. (Cl. 174-479) This invention relates to an insulating hanger for high tension electrical lines. More specifically, it deals with a light, flexible suspension for wires or cables carrying very high voltages, and having a vertically-louvered sectional train construction.

Present day hangers for high voltage lines are made of heavy, rigid, vitreous ceramic-steel construction which not only are difiicult to handle and install, but are also collectors of rain and snow, thereby encouraging damaging flash-over. Furthermore, their alternating metalglass-metal construction produces a strong condenser effect which reduces considerably the insulators overall resistance, and often disturbs neigrborhood radio reception.

According to the present invention, a flexible suspension is provided having a vertically-louvered arrangement of curved-edge bell-shaped skirt sections, which suspension is light in weight, simple to assemble, provides a tortuous path to resist flash-over arcing or puncture, is self-cleaning with respect to snow and rain, and involves considerable reduction in radio interference. Furthermore, by selection of the proper number of sections and fins, it is possible to adapt easily a suspension for a pa ticular line voltage carried, such as for 25,000, 35,000, 70,000, 140,000, 280,000 volts, and even higher, wherein all of the suspensions would have equal mechanical strength and could be coupled in any desired series combination to produce suspensions for other voltages.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment is described and in which FIGURE 1 illustrates a cross-sectional vertical elevation of a preferred e1nbodiment, while FlG-URE 2 shows a side View, partly cut away, of a center portion thereof. A bottom view of the same suspension is depicted in FIGURE 3. FIGURE 4 illustrates a top or plan view thereof. A cross-sectional vertical elevation of a vertical half of a different embodiment is shown in FIGURE 5. FlGURE 6 depicts a cross-sectional side view of the bottom right hand portion of the unit shown in FlGURE l, in modified form. Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the various figures.

Referring again to the drawing, numeral 6 refers gen erally to a cap, preferably of metal. It consists of two parts '7 and 8 which are joined at 9 by screw threads or strong cement, such as epoxy cement. An eye 10 is provided in the upper portion of part '7 for hanging purposes. The bottom portion of part 7 is provided with well 11 in which is fastened or cemented, in a similar manner, the upper end of support rod 12 made of glass fiber rope or glass laminate, impregnated with epoxy or other suitable insulating resin. Rod ILZ may be flexible or rigid, as desired, and its thicknesses is determined by the load of skirt sections and cable carried. This rod is designed to carry the entire load of the suspension.

The skirt sections, referred to generally by numeral l3, may be of the same size, or downwardly-increasing in size, or downwardly-decreasing in size, depending upon the service conditions encountered. It will be noted that the suspension shown in FIGURES 14 comprises a vertical series of downwardly-increasing individual skirt sections l4, l5, l6 and 17 made of glass fiber or glass cloth, or glass laminate impregnated with an insulating plastic, such as epoxy resin, and having downwardlydirected lower edges l8, 19, 20 and 21', respectively, said 3,115,543 Patented Dec. 24, 1963 sections being positioned in spaced relation with respect to centrally-disposed rod 12. Top skirt section 14 has its upper end 22 cemented or otherwise fastened around rod 12 into well 23 of cap 5. Near its lower edge 18, it has a continuous downwardly-directed lip 24 which does not touch the next lower section 15. The primary purpose of lips 24 and 24' is to change the air flow direction and thereby detrain rain or snow, and to increase the path of possible arcing, thus resisting flash-over.

The next lower skirt section 15 is larger than section 14, and is similar to the latter in shape, except that its upper edge 25 is curved outwardly to facilitate fastening of section 15 in louvered relation to section 14. Such fastening may be made by any suitable conventional means, although the one depicted in FIGURES 1-2 comprises a peg-tenon lock joint, wherein peg 26 slides laterally and locks into tenon 2'7, out into projection 23 which extends for a short distanw inwardly from inner surface 29 of the skirt section. Section 116 is locked with section 15 (FIG. 2) by turning section lie so that the four equallyspaced pegs 26 on edge 49 slide and lock into their respective tenons 27. Since projections 28 on surface 29 provide a space 3-0 between the two sections, air can circulate into and out of the interior of the suspension as indicated by the arrows in FIGURES 1 and 5. Section 16 is identical with section 15, with the exception that it is larger. Section 17 is the lowest section, and it has an outwardlycurved upper edge similar to those of the other sections. The bottom edge, however, is curved inwardly enough to enable anchoring, by cementing or otherwise, into cup 31 of cap 32. Cap 32. also is made in two pieces, a central piece 33 carrying eye 34, to which the electrical cable (not shown) may be attached, and carrying cup 35 into which lower end 12' of rod i2 is secured (by cementing or otherwise), and an anchoring outer piece 36 having cup 37 into which the lower ends 21 of section 17 are cemented. The lower portion of section 17 is provided with holes 38 for drainage of any water collectable therein and this lower section also may be provided with a continuous lateral fin 55, as in FIGURE 6.

From the aforesaid, it is noted that the entire suspension may be made up first by including only the outer portions 8 and as of caps 6 and 32, after which rod 12 and eye portions 7 and 33 are inserted and fastened thereto. it will be noted also, that downwardly-directed lips or fins 24 may be attached to the inner surfaces of skirt sections l3, or to the outer surfaces (as in FIG. 5), or to both as in FlGURE 6.

The suspension shown in FlG. 5 is similar generally to that in FEGURE l, with the exception that the skirt sections are downwardly smaller, and that the bottom edges 39, 4-0, etc., of sections lid, l5, etc. (generally indicated as 13) are straight. Also, multiple continuous fins are provided on the outer surfaces of the sections, such as fins t? and 44 on section 14, fins 45, 46 and 47 on section 15', etc., these fins being curved downwardly for satisfactory water drainage. Also, holes are drilled through the peg and tenon joints zs 27, and pins 43 are inserted into these holes and cemented therein, these pins extending into the walls of sections l4, etc., thereby making the joints stronger. it is important than none of the fins of one section touch or rub against any portion of another section.

The suspension may be provided, also, with one or more glass-p1astic lateral supports 50 attached to rod 12 and terminating with a soft surface of silicone rubber, or other suitable material 51 abutting the inner surface of skirt 16, for example, such supports serving as braces against deformation of the skirt train by high winds. The bottom skirt 17 is also provided with drainage holes 38'.

Thus, it can be seen that suspension insulators for existing voltages as well as for proposed increased voltages could be readily assembled. The rod supporting member with its fabricated louvered insulating jacket not directly attached to it provide a multiplicity of leakage, arcing and puncture paths which can be balanced by adjusting the various variables, such as diameter of skirts, number of skirts, number of fins on the skirts, and gap between skirts. This flexibility, roperly used, results in a greatly superior suspension insulator.

I claim:

1. A high tension cable suspension, comprising,

a centrally-disposed insulating rod designed to carry its cable and suspension load,

an upper mounting cap centrally-attached at one end to the upper end of said rod and having hanging means disposed on its other end,

a lower mounting ca) centrally-attached at one end to the lower end of said red and having hanging means disposed on its other end,

a vertical louvered train of connected, generally-round in cross-section, similarly-shaped insulating skirt sections disposed around said rod but not in contact therewith and comprising an uppermost section attached at its top to said upper mounting cap, and a lowermost section, each of the sections in said train being locked at its inner surface to a laterally-spaced projection of its adjacent lower section, each of said skirt sections having at least one continuous lateral fin projecting from its surface, and

a bottom insulating section of generally-round crosssection disposed around said rod and attached at its upper edge to a laterally-spaced projection of the inner surface of said lowermost section of said train, and provided with at least one drain for draining liquid collected therein, and attached at its bottom edge to said lower mounting cap.

2. A high tension cable suspension, comprising,

a centrally-disposed glass-plastic insulating rod designed to carry its cable and suspension load,

an upper mounting cap centrally-attached at one end to the upper end of said rod and having hanging means disposed on its other end,

a lower mounting cap centrally-attached at one end to the lower end of said rod and having hanging means disposed on its other end,

a vertical louvered train of connected, generally-round in cross-section, similarly-shaped glass-plastic insulating skirt sections disposed around said rod but not in contact therewith and comprising an uppermost section attached at its top to said upper mounting cap, and a lowermost section, each of the sections in said train being locked at its inner surface to a laterallyspaced projection of its adjacent lower section, each of said skirt sections having at least one continuous lateral fin projecting from its surface, and

a bottom glass-plastic insulating section of generallyround cross-section disposed around said rod and attached at its upper end to a laterally-spaced projection of the inner surface of said lowermost section of said train, and attached at its bottom edge to said lower mounting cap.

3. A high tension cable suspension according to claim 1, in which the fin on each skirt section is downwardlydirected on the outer surface or" each said skirt section of train.

4. A high tension cable suspension according to claim 1 in which said bottom insulating section also has at least one continuous lateral fin projecting from its surface.

5. A high tension cable suspension according to claim 1, in which the tin on each skirt section is downwardlydirected on the inner surface of each said skirt section of said train.

6. A high tension cable according to claim 1, in which at least one on each skirt section is downwardlydirected on the inner surface of each said skirt section of said train, and at least one fin on each skirt section is downwardly-directed on the outer surface thereof,

7. A high tension cable suspension according to claim 1 in which both mounting caps comprise two concentrically-fastenable portions with the hanging means disposed on the central portion to which is attached the end of said rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A HIGH TENSION CABLE SUSPENSION, COMPRISING, A CENTRALLY-DISPOSED INSULATING ROD DESIGNED TO CARRY ITS CABLE AND SUSPENSION LOAD, AN UPPER MOUNTING CAP CENTRALLY-ATTACHED AT ONE END TO THE UPPER END OF SAID ROD AND HAVING HANGING MEANS DISPOSED ON ITS OTHER END, A LOWER MOUNTING CAP CENTRALLY-ATTACHED AT ONE END TO THE LOWER END OF SAID ROD AND HAVING HANGING MEANS DISPOSED ON ITS OTHER END, A VERTICAL LOUVERED TRAIN OF CONNECTED, GENERALLY-ROUND IN CROSS-SECTION, SIMILARLY-SHAPED INSULATING SKIRT SECTIONS DISPOSED AROUND SAID ROD BUT NOT IN CONTACT THEREWITH AND COMPRISING AN UPPERMOST SECTION ATTACHED AT ITS TOP TO SAID UPPER MOUNTING CAP, AND A LOWERMOST SECTION, EACH OF THE SECTIONS IN SAID TRAIN BEING LOCKED AT ITS INNER SURFACE TO A LATERALLY-SPACED PROJECTION OF ITS ADJACENT LOWER SECTION, EACH OF SAID SKIRT SECTIONS HAVING AT LEAST ONE CONTINUOUS LATERAL FIN PROJECTING FROM ITS SURFACE, AND A BOTTOM INSULATING SECTION OF GENERALLY-ROUND CROSSSECTION DISPOSED AROUND SAID ROD AND ATTACHED AT ITS UPPER EDGE TO A LATERALLY-SPACED PROJECTION OF THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID LOWERMOST SECTION OF SAID TRAIN, AND PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE DRAIN FOR DRAINING LIQUID COLLECTED THEREIN, AND ATTACHED AT ITS BOTTOM EDGE TO SAID LOWER MOUNTING CAP. 